


Friends Come in Many Sizes

by orphan_account



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Abduction, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Pocket Will, Stockholm Syndrome, Will Graham-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 06:35:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4169658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will lives in the walls, then one day Hannibal finds him and decides to keep him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Will leads a simple life, or at least he used to. Before Dr. Lecter moved into what was Mr. and Mrs. Parker's house. The Parker's had been a normal couple, getting on in years, and apparently in want of a change of scenery after retirement. Will had not cared much for them one way or the other. They were the giants of the house and he had avoided them studiously. Respectful of their privacy to a certain extent (he had to know enough about them to not be caught) and mindful of the trouble they could cause him if they ever noticed his presence.

Will had moved into the Parker's- no, Dr. Lecter's- house almost seven years ago. Before that, he'd lived on the streets or hopped from house to house. This house had been a miracle to his tired body. No one else living in the walls, and yet perfect for nesting. A small nook in the wall right next to the kitchen. Obviously someone had designed a home there, before being driven out by the new cat. Will could almost thank the animal, for the previous residents had horded all sorts of things that they left behind to his delight. 

The softest handkerchief Will had ever felt, snug in the corner with a pin cushion bed. An empty jar of jam had somehow been smuggled inside, as well as a curious collection of buttons that Will ended up hanging on the walls with paperclips after he'd moved in and no one ever came to kick him out. Overall Will was comfortable in his home, even with Justice the cat scampering about. Will had always been good at getting around unnoticed.

In fact it wasn't until very recently that he started to feel paranoid about leaving his nest. Even though it should have felt safer, with the Parker's having taken Justice with them. But Will had started only leaving in the dead of night, around four and never past five, to make sure his nightly excursions remain unnoticed. This is, of course, because Dr. Lecter was a murderer. Will isn't only being paranoid. He can hear the terror chocked screams that come from the basement through the walls. He even slipped down to make sure it wasn't his imagination, but no, the giant had been torturing another one with a strange hook thing that glinted like a knife.

Will had nearly thrown up at the sight. He would have never guessed that giants could, would, attack other giants. The Parker's had been such calm animals in comparison to this one. Like night and day. The Parker's had never been cannibalistic. They'd hardly even had guests, unlike the doctor who hosted many lavish dinner parties and often had friends over for meals.

The words of Will's father, about staying unseen always, made much more sense now. Clearly, giants, "humans" as they called themselves, were not like little's at all. They _were_ dangerous. Once, Dr. Lecter had made one human eat something that made it see terrible things. Will had shuddered, jumping away from the crack in the wall, nearly dropping the pieces of crackers he'd nicked from the cupboard at the sight. After that day he'd stopped venturing out so freely. Another time, the doctor had made one eat its own leg.

Will had been considering moving seriously. Very seriously. He didn't think he could stand the stress anymore and it was only the hard recollection of living on the streets that gave him pause. He laid down on his pin cushion, wrapping himself up in his handkerchief, and wondered desperately what the best course of action was.

As a child he had heard tales of giants eating little's, and as a child they had been nothing more than scary stories that would send a shiver down his spine, which sometimes turned into a nightmare. As an adult the stories had faded away and with them most of his fear. One had to be careful around the giants, obviously, but they weren't so different from the small's in their own ways. At least that's what Will had thought. 

When they talked they could be surprisingly funny, and everyone knew how smart the humans were. It couldn't all be contributed to the small's whispering the ideas into their ears. Will had never even met a small that had a conversation with a giant, much less took the time to explain how to make things. Will could almost admire their ingenuity, but then he would think about how likely it was that Dr. Lecter would literally eat him if he found him and he thought less about ingenuity.

Sighing to himself, he peaked out of his handkerchief at his room. He looked at the jar, almost empty of foodstuff. He must go and get some more, but that was another problem in itself. Dr. Lecter made strange food. Not strange in that all the meat he ate was of his own species, thought that was, but strange in that most of his food was handmade. It left very little for Will to work with. Will wasn't going to eat plain flour after all. If that wasn't enough, Dr. Lecter hardly ever had leftovers... and yesterday Will had seen something that made his heart nearly beat out of his chest.

Dr. Lecter had realized food was missing. From the bread loaf, to be precise. Will was still beating himself up over it. _Why had he taken so much?_ Only he'd known why. Finding anything fresh and edible lately had been a challenge. He wasn't accustomed to living with only one human, with two it had been simpler. If he took a slice of bread or a piece of fruit the humans would just think the other one had ate it and that would be that. This human though, this Dr. Lecter, was incredibly meticulous. Will thought he'd even notice if a crumb when missing from the floor and especially if he was suspicious. There was nothing worse than a human thinking pests were in the house.

Will knew what most would say. Leave. He knew, and yet he'd grown attached to his lovely little home and yet that was really no excuse. Will had only been putting off the inevitable. Dr. Lecter was not a suitable homeowner. It was about time to say goodbye to this place.

 

 

Will was packing what he could. He took down the better looking buttons, he'd probably be able to trade them for something, maybe a nights rest in a neighboring home. He put his sewing needle inside the pouch he'd made up with fabric, and wrapped the string connected to the pouch over his left shoulder and under his right arm, tying it into a tight bow against his chest. The needle tucked in it's place hung from his back and likely wouldn't be used, but if a bug came around a corner he wouldn't be unarmed at least.

He'd put as much food as could reasonably carry into his handkerchief and from there he stood at the exit of his home. The sight of it left him forlorn. He wanted to change his mind, but what else could he do? It was the thought of the screams that made Will slowly step back and away.

 

 

It was 4:00. Will never saw the glass closing in on him from above until it was too late and darkness surrounded him.   


	2. Chapter 2

Will was in shock from being trapped in what he quickly realized was a glass. It was too dark and he'd been caught unawares so suddenly. He couldn't make out a thing through the dark green-blue color.

 _Breathe._ _What was happening?_

Will scrambled blindly at the glass where it touched the floor, hoping it would tip up so that he could escape. It was immovable though, and soon he had to jump back as something began sliding underneath it. What, paper? The glass began tilting sideways, gently, almost knocking Will in the face as he fell backwards onto the other side of it. Will almost yelled as be began to slide on his back, backwards, towards the bottom of the glass. Throwing his hands up instinctively to make sure his head wouldn't smash against the bottom as he fell.

He remembered this. Will had seen it happen a few times with spiders, a giant would trap it in a cup, slide a piece of paper underneath and then carry it away.

The glass didn't completely upend though, staying neatly on it's side as Will rolled awkwardly from side to side and tried to find purchase on the smooth walls as the human stood up. He could feel himself going higher and higher all at once. Nausea filled him before the movement stopped just as abruptly. When he glanced out he gasped before he could stop himself. An enormous eye was peering at him, though it was difficult to make out from inside the glass. Will could see the shape of the giants face. In his fright he jerked backwards, head hitting the glass and making his ears ring for a moment.

The glass stayed on its side, lowering somewhat. Will stared down at where the floor presumably was, only able to see dark shadows as Dr. Lecter started walking.

He'd never been more afraid when the glass was put down on it's side, paper removed, and the low and familiar voice spoke to him from above.

"My name is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. I would apologize for trapping you, but I'm afraid I'd only be apologizing again in a few moments. When I saw you hiding in the walls I couldn't hold my curiosity."

Will reached for his needle, backing up as far as he could into the glass as he tried to think. The giant could easily pick up the glass and smash it onto the floor. The thought terrified him. The situation itself made him quake. What could he do? Everything he had ever been taught was about the prevention of a situation like this. No one said anything about what happened if a small one was caught though.

"Will you come out of there?" Dr. Lecter asked pleasantly.

The human always sounded pleasant, even when he was being anything but. Will stayed quiet, letting the silence go long, despite knowing the human could see him clearly. 

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Will wondered if he should fake a language barrier. Try to make himself dull and uninteresting. He quickly discarded both ideas though, unable to predict how that might be taken. Even with that decided though, Will wasn't sure what to say in response to the question. He had faced poisonous spiders and defended himself from cats and birds before, but a human was an all too different creature even when one didn't consider the size difference, and this Dr. Lecter was something else entirely on top of the keen intelligence of the human species. Will was frozen in place. His needle held out in front of him shakily.

He opened his mouth but too many responses came to mind for him to decide. Instead he nodded in answer, unsure that the giant could see him. When the head of the human came clearly into view in the next moment he stared back with wide eyes. The human had bent down to get a better look at him, peering through the circle of the glass. Its eyes immediately noticed the needle in Will's grip and despite the giants face not being very expressive Will sensed a distinct amusement radiating from it. He almost felt foolish, understanding how it must look to the giant. Like something even smaller than a ladybug or an ant by itself was threatening to kill him with a splinter of soft wood.

He thought of stabbing the human in the eye but even that was impossible from where he stood. He was in a crouched position inside the glass, his back pressed against the bottom of it. His reach wouldn't make it out of the glass much less into one of the human beings sensitive eye. He could throw it but he didn't trust his aim well enough. All that Will could do was wait. If the human attempted to reach within to pull him out then he could get a good jab in, lodging it into one of the joints.

Though, if Dr. Lecter decided to jostle the glass from the outside, and perhaps spill Will out of the cup in that way then Will could be seriously hurt by his own weapon if he toppled out in the wrong way.

Should he say something? Should he put his needle away, then?

Neither option was good. Before he could decide on anything the choice was taken from him.

"That needle. Did you procure it from Mrs. Parker? She had a prolific collection."

Will hadn't found his needle that way. Though it was a good guess. Mrs. Parker had sewn often. Sitting at her sewing machine. The roaring grumble had made a good signal for when to come or go from his wall. It would have been simple to slip a needle from her without notice, if she had realized one was missing then she would have assumed she'd misplaced it without a thought.

Will wanted to say something. Wanted to respond, but all he could do was shake his head in the negative. Voice swallowed somewhere in his anxiety.

Dr. Lecter's voice was even more soothing than usual. The sound of it, ringing false after everything he'd witness since the giants arrival, put Will on edge.

"H- How did you notice me in the walls?" Will forced himself to ask.

The mans teeth were so sharp and wide. Not as large as a dogs, but more frightening when matched with its eyes.  

"I had scared you. When I was in the basement disemboweling Mr. Hastings. Caught you peering through the walls, shaking as you are now. Tell me, why didn't you leave on that night?"

The answer was stuck in his throat. He was asking himself the very same question. His excuses seemed to have no ground to stand on now. Will had known that while he made them, and eventually he had run, but not soon enough.

"I thought-" Will whispered, stalled.

Dr. Lecter had spotted him? Will tried to remember that night. Could remember stumbling back up to his cushion and hiding beneath his handkerchief until his wobbly breathing had slowed down. He'd fallen into a restless sleep from there. Will wasn't sure how he had convinced himself not to run later, after waking up. Wrapped in silk and surrounded by the life he had made in the walls, it hadn't been that hard to convince himself that it was safe.

"I thought I could make it work."

He'd been so wrong.

He could feel the humans eyes assessing him critically. Will was sure that he was dead, but he steadied himself. Felt himself become calm as he waited. His hands steadying the needle in his hold.

"Little one, tell me your name. If you give me your name I won't drop you into my frying pan." 

The words made Will's mouth gape open in shock. They sent shivers back down his spine at the very notion, even more so because he could tell that the giant would do it, wouldn't hesitate to pick the cup up right then and take Will away if he should refuse. He could see it in the giants face that swallowing Will whole would give it just as much pleasure as having its curiosity sated with answered questions.

"Will. My name, it's Will Graham." He said haltingly, and the smile he received was nothing short of chilling.


	3. Chapter 3

The threat of being fried alive is fresh in his mind as he is, sort of, interrogated about his life. It's almost conversational. The way he's asked regular questions about his life in general. Will starts to feel rather abashed as he talks about his kind and the questions become more specific. His lifestyle, his family, his kind are none of Dr. Lecter's business but unfortunately they're also the only topics that the human wants to prod Will about.

Will tries for vague. Sweating at the thought of what would happen to him if anyone discovered how much information he was spilling. It was minimal, really, but even the proof of his own body was damning and would be considered a shameful misstep. Made worse by the fact that Dr. Lecter seemed uncannily able to sniff out deceit and what was being withheld. It was deeply unsettling, how the giant could see through Will's omissions and even make accurate guesses based on only the way that Will said things. 

Will tried to keep a straight face as those hands plucked his handkerchief up, bringing the makeshift bag in front of the opening of the glass to untie it in full view. Letting it fall open, contents bared. Will expected the bread to be picked up first. It was the one thing that he had clearly been taken from the giants stash. But it was mostly ignored as Dr. Lecter sifted through everything else. Will nearly objected when it took up one of his buttons with a finger and thumb. It was a bright button, blue on one side and copper on the other, that Will was quite fond of. On its copper side Will had drawn a black star with a sharpie and ended up sick from the toxic smell, but he'd still been pleased by the look of it.   

The giant went through all of the buttons and things at a leisurely pace, picking them up to examine them and putting them back where they had been just so. Will was relived that the questioning had stopped for the time being, but the attention being paid to his things wasn't a comfort. He needed to get away, and soon. Escape. He creeped slowly towards the mouth of the glass, needle tight in his hand. When he was close to the edge, and Dr. Lecter was still examining the contents of his handkerchief, Will took the chance to peak out and get a clear view of where he was in the house.

It was the island counter in the kitchen, unfortunately. He could hardly run to the walls for safety from this place. There were chairs though, he could probably jump onto one of them and slide down the legs. His kind were especially good at jumping and running. A jump that could break a humans leg at a comparable distance might only give him a sprain. It didn't seem like such a bad bump to take when compared to being a giants dinner after it had wrangled all of the information he knew out. Will glanced up, to see curious eyes peering at him instead of at the sparkly pendant that it held.

Will gulped and slipped back inside his glass. Taking a step back for good measure. The giant didn't mention his movements, turning their attention back to the pendant without a word.

"Why take these? Buttons, beads. Are they useful to smalls?"

Useful... not really. In and of themselves, they were just pretty things that most smalls collected if they could. But there was more to it then that. Dr. Lecter was right to suspect that they had meaning and significance. Having them could be very useful if one had to move or if another small that was looking for lodging came to visit. They showed others that he'd had a home for a long time. The more things he collected, the more objects he could keep and improve upon, the better it looked for him. Since his collection was relatively large it meant that he'd kept, defended, a place for a long time and was able to squirrel many objects away on top of that. It proved that he wasn't a street urchin looking for handouts. He had some pieces to trade. But Will didn't feel it right to try explaining all of the intricacies of those unspoken customs in so much depth.

He shrugged, awkward and unsure of what to say instead. Will could never put into words what glitter on a button or a picture of a flower carved into a bead meant in the eyes of his kind. He wouldn't say.

"They're beautiful." He settled on, wondering if he might be able to trade them for his freedom.

He thought better of the idea when he glanced at the piece of bread though. The human might say that Will had stolen from him and decide that the buttons should just be given to him as payment for that. Will wouldn't be able to contradict the giant, not when he could be crushed so easily or fried.

"Did you make all of the designs?" Dr. Lecter asked.

One button was held closer to Will. It had a heart on it.

"Ye-eeaah!"

Will screamed as the hand dropped the bead and reached inside to grab Will, who'd leaned slightly forward for a closer look, around the middle.

Will stabbed the giant straight through the fleshy part of its hand, between its thumb and pointer finger, almost reflexively. He knew that the needle had went clearly through the skin but the human barely twitched at the attack. Continuing to lift Will out and up high, too high. His body was gently, snugly held in the hand and he felt the other end of the bloody needle uncomfortably pressed against himself through his clothes. 

Before he could pull it out the giants other hand reached down to unsheathe the needle from its hand, setting it on the counter. Will felt the wetness of the blood seeping onto his clothes. Could smell it as a drop welled up from the puncture wound. Will wasn't sure what to do as the giant adjusted its hold on him, breath coming in unsteady gasps as he shook. It was hard to think when this huge being was holding him in hand. Moving him around until its palm was facing upwards and Will was sitting in the middle.

Will had raised his hands against the fingers twisting him around and tried to shove them away. The fingers were incredibly strong and fast and Will knew his struggles were barely felt. The hand beneath him felt entirely unstable too, capable of dropping him at any moment and being this high up and this far from the ground and this close to a human was disorienting.

Blood ended up smeared all over him and he stared with wide eyes about himself. Not wanting to look over the edge of the hand but not stopping himself from imagining the sheer drop. Even though he had survived some harsh falls in his life that didn't mean he would survive a fall from this high above the ground.

It was one thing to have walked on tables and counters all of his life. Will wasn't afraid of heights. He had managed large jumps from high places many times in his past, but this wasn't something under his control. The ground, the giants hand, could move abruptly and that would be it for Will. He might die.

"Oh, please, put me back down." He struggled to say.

He wanted to grab onto one of the giants fingers but he didn't want to be pushed around by them either. In the end Will settled for placing his hands flat on either side of him. It was so surreal to feel the skin beneath him. The humans skin was very similar to his own, only slightly rougher and warmer to the touch. Somehow Will had never thought much about the differences between their species.

"I will." Dr. Lecter answered, cutting through his thoughts.

It didn't put him down though. It started walking, going far away from Will's things. The farther they went the more anxious Will became. Especially when they started going upstairs, and a horrifying thought occurred to Will.

A thought that hadn't occurred to Will before because he hadn't realized that Dr. Lecter knew that he was living in the walls.

Only a few days ago Dr. Lecter had bought a bird cage and took it up to his room.

Will hadn't cared much. Hadn't even checked on the cage since he'd first seen it taken upstairs to the giants room. Birds in pretty metal cages didn't eat smalls after all... and it was difficult for Will to get up those upstairs. He usually ignored most of the upper rooms because of how difficult it was to get into them and because their wasn't food left in them. When the Parker's had lived here before Will had sometimes gone into those rooms every few months to look for interesting new things. If they went out to treat themselves sometimes he could look around for a few hours without a problem. Ever since Dr. Lecter moved in Will hadn't even bothered. The man went out often but Will hadn't dared to take the risk. Now Will wished that he had. He might have noticed something amiss about the cage and left sooner.

They went into Dr. Lecter's bedroom. The area had an entirely different look now. Will barely noticed the imposing bed or the dark furnishings though, his eyes stuck on the bird cage hanging from the ceiling and near to the closet door. Out of the way. Set far away from the window, the dresser, and the bed. It had a black cover draped over it.

"Oh, no. No, no, don't do that." Will said futilely as the giant walked towards it.

He stood up for the first time on the hand. Sure that he could not let himself be stuffed into that thing. Afraid that if it happened he would never be free again, just like a bird or any other pet. The other hand came up to stop him. Will could see it coming down, see darkness encroaching, and he stopped thinking. He ran off of the palm and down the unsteady arm as fast as he could.

The fabric of the suit slid precariously under each of his steps. It was incredibly strange compared to the wood and tile flooring that he was used to, and Dr. Lecter's hand was quick. Will almost slipped up. There was no hesitation in the giants movements. There was no hesitation in Will either. Will had experience in being perused, fortunately, and in anticipating how a larger animal might think to catch him. It was the only thing that saved him from immediately being snatched back up into those hands.

Will did the only thing he could, and his heart nearly stopped, as he made it down to the nook of the humans elbow and then leapt sideways towards the giants middle. If Dr. Lecter had taken one step back Will would have missed his target and fallen to the ground with a splat, dead in seconds. Not a new pet for the human. Just something to be cleaned from the floor.

Will rammed into the doctors belly instead. He nearly bounced off from the force of the impact. His clutching fingers helping him at the last second to take hold of the suit. He gabbed and released, using the rough fabric to slow his decent as he slipped down and down the giants body. It was nearly a free fall. He nicked the belt painfully on his way, dropping down a leg at a faster and faster pace.

He saw Dr. Lecter's hand sweep down for him. It was only because Will jumped from the leg and towards the ground, forgoing support, that he was able to dodge it.

He smashed against the floor painfully. Stunned for a brief second before he could collect himself. There was no chance to take stock of injury. He could only stand up and run. From the ground Will was able to at last feel some sense of familiarity through his dizziness. He immediately went towards the bed. Sure that if he could hide under it, he could figure out how to get away from the human. Away from this house-

Out of the sky a socked foot dropped down in front of Will. It was unexpected and Will nearly ran headfirst into it. He couldn't race around it, couldn't afford to stop moving, at the speed he was running he tried to clear it by jumping over it. He couldn't gain enough height to competly miss it though, his already bruised knees hit the body top of the foot and Will took another hit to the ground.

He had barely made it to his feet, running, when the back of his shirt was tugged up. Will tried to slip out of it at first, but by then it was too late. The way his shirt had been pinched at the top and then lifted made it impossible for him free himself and then it was too dangerous a move to attempt as he was quickly raised again. He felt as though he'd lost his stomach somewhere on his way up.

Will twisted around in the air, staring into large and predatory but eerily smiling eyes.

They looked red in the dim bedroom light. For a moment Will thought he wasn't looking at a giant or a human, he was looking at a demon.

"You nearly gave me the slip, Will. It was good effort. As you would know, none have ever succeeded in getting very far from me. I'll give you the same advice that I gave those who have tried to in the past, as a curtesy."

Will swayed in the hold. Feeling as though those eyes were swallowing him whole as they peered at him. Will's breaths were ragged and the pain he felt from his recent escape attempt began to surface as he listened to Dr. Lecter's next matter of fact words.

"You'd be much better off not knowing what I do to those that try to escape me a second time."

Then the cover on the cage was torn off and the little door was opened up. White carpet had been put inside the bird cage, as well as a square doll bed made complete with a matching baby blue blanket and pillow. Both of the blue pieces had lace around their edges and white butterflies sewn on them. A small bowl sat in one corner. A thin flashlight that was almost Will's height had been left beside the bed. 

Will was dropped inside unceremoniously and he had to hold back a hiss as his bruised knees hit the ground.

He heard the door latched closed behind him and he turned to see a tiny, fancy lock being snapped around the bars next. A brass key was taken out of Dr. Lecter's pocket. Will had never felt so cornered as when he heard the key click into place, turning with a sense of finality. 

Will's hands slipped into his hair as he watched it all. Tugging at the strands as he silently shook his head in denial. He wanted to scream. Kick the lock. Break the bars and then, what? Leap? 

Will ran over to the bars when the key was taken away. Tried to shake them until they rattled. Some part of Will knew that he needed to stop and slowly breathe. That there was nothing to be done anymore, for now, but Will couldn't think straight. The bars stayed firmly in place, the space so thin between them that Will couldn't squeeze through. At most he could fit one of his arms through spaces between.

"How long are you going to keep me in here?"

Dr. Lecter had watched him as he kicked at the bars and tried to reopen the brass lock without success. There was something entirely reptilian in the way the giant observed Will throughout it all. Of all the humans that could have found him, Will knew that this one was the worst.

"How long?" Will shouted.

Still, Dr. Lecter stayed quiet. A large hand, from the same pair that had moved Will around with such ease, came up to run down the bars. From the rounded top and down to the bottom where Will's fingers clutched uneasily. Will flinched away when the shadow of the hand came too close.

"It's late and you should sleep." Dr. Lecter spoke at last. "I'll feed you in the morning, and clean the cage if it's necessary."

Will's eyes flickered over to the bowl. Was he supposed to shit in that? A blush, more formed from fury than any actual embarrassment, warmed his face.

"If it should get too dark then feel free to use the flashlight."

Before Will could even contemplate the words the cover was being secured back onto the cage and his world was enveloped in darkness once again.

Will screamed.


	4. Chapter 4

Will cussed and shouted. Wanting to make it impossible to be ignored, to be left inside the cage. He screamed until his throat was stinging with pain and then he kept on trying to scream. Continuing to rattle the bars even when he started to lose his voice. He'd never been so frightened and infuriated at the same time.

No response came to the havoc he wrecked in his little cell. Not that there was much that he could do. He picked up the little bowl, difficult even in his anger to lift, and threw it into the walls of the square bird cage. The impact of the dish didn't dent the bars though, instead it made a creaking sound as it bounced back. Nearly smacking into Will as the ground rocked, knocking him off of his feet and making everything else slide down as the ground tipped.

The bed ended up in the middle of the cage somewhere, still upright despite the sudden movement. The flashlight had smacked loudly into the bars next to him. Will had stood up when the cage stopped swaying. Squinting in the total darkness. He could feel the blood, dried up, covering him. Could feel the wetness against his cheeks because he had started crying at some point. Will was still crying. The giant had probably left the room ages ago. Or worse, the giant was listening to him. Basking in the sounds of Will's hitched breaths and teary coughs.

"I hate you." Will rasped, breathing harshly. 

Part of him wanted to resume his breakdown. Another part wished he hadn't started in the first place, realizing how pointless it had been and suspecting that it would only please the murderous giant and tire himself out. He stood very still with his back against the bars, catching his breath and reengaging his brain. He couldn't change the situation through screaming. The giants patience could outlast the energy Will had, and if it didn't Will couldn't be sure how the giant would react. By removing Will from the cage or by silencing him for good before he could find a way to run?

Will reached through the bars, trying to get a good grip on the covering. The fabric was stiff against his fingers and even digging his hands into it was a chore. He couldn't get a decent grasp on it, but he tried to pull it. He couldn't move it. Even pushing at it, Will could barely make it stretch. No light shone through. The covering even wrapped beneath the bottom of the cage.

Will stepped back. Going down to his knees beside the flashlight feeling around for the switch awkwardly in the dark. It was stiff but he was able to slide it across, sending a beam of light into the room. He rolled the large tube around so that he could look at the cage from every side. Once he saw the line of Velcro he ran across the room. Shoving his hands through the bars to tug at it.

The new Velcro was a more difficult than Will thought it would be to pull apart. Loud enough to be conspicuous, too. On small, old things, Velcro was easy enough to peal apart. But this was much different than Velcro on a shoe. Will yanked at it, but the effort scratched his hands badly. Agitating and poking at his skin. The angle was awkward with the bars blocking him. He pulled as he tried to think of what he should do after getting the Velcro open. It was what made him stop moving altogether in frustration. What was he doing? What was the point?

He thought if he could just find a way to escape when he wasn't in Dr. Lecter's presence he could get far away, unfortunately the cage was hanging from the ceiling. He looked at the blankets on the bed, thinking even if he could rip them apart to make a rope it wouldn't be long enough to reach the ground. Will was stuck in the cage. Really stuck, and wasting energy he should have spent on planning a useful escape. 

Hands still on the Velcro Will leaned his body against the cool bars. Resting his head heavily against it. If he was to escape then it was likely that he would have to do it in Dr. Lecter's presence. When the giant took him out and, even then, not until the giant let it's guard down. Something that could take a long time, after all Will had already tried to get away earlier. The giant would be expecting Will to try again. Will would have to find the perfect time to make his escape.    

Will walked over to the bed. Sitting on it carefully.

The softness of it caught him off guard. He had tested out a Barbie bed before and found it hard and uncomfortable. He felt as though he could sleep on this though, comfortably. His fingers clenched into the soft blanket. A frown marring his face at the thought of anything in this place being a comfort to him. It was already irritating to take in the delicate craftsmanship of the headboard. He would much rather be sleeping on his pincushion then in this unstable place.

He dragged himself under the blankets. Curling into a ball with his hands tucked around his knees. The light shone slightly through the blue blanket and he closed his eyes. What was he going to do now? What could he do?

He shivered even though it wasn't cold. Feeling the painful bruises that he had procured after Dr. Lecter got a hold of him acutely.

Once Will was taken out of the cage, he would be able to make a run for it. If he was alert then he would find some way...

Will didn't notice himself slipping into a deep sleep before he could finish formulating his plans.

 

A loud tearing sound startled Will from a fitful dream. He didn't attempt to hold onto whatever it was his subconscious had conjured up in the night, sitting up straight and gripping the blankets in his lap tightly.

He watched tensely as large hands gracefully remove the cover on the cage.

Slipping out of the bed, Will stood off to the side of it with a scowl. He felt achy from his injuries, itchy because of the dried blood, and alert at the same time as the larger room came into view.

"Good morning, Will."

The giants eyes flicked over everything that had been moved from where it was last inquisitively. Will watched as Dr. Lecter left to tuck the cover of the birdcage away in the closet. 

The doctor wasn't wearing a full suit. He was wearing a pale, salmon colored button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"A bath first is overdue." Dr. Lecter said when he came back.

Will usually didn't have many opportunities to clean up. When Will could he would turn on the water in the kitchen sink and stand beneath it, finishing as quickly as he could in the dead of the night. He hadn't felt safe doing that in a few days though.  

Will wanted to refuse, even though he could feel how dirty he was, but he knew it wouldn't help him. Or stop the hand that reached in to pluck him from where he stood. He stepped back, instinctively, but the hand gently took him. His heartbeat sped up in his chest. It was strange to be so close to another. Will usually didn't even communicate with his own kind often. Once, he'd played with a puppy. It had licked him and nuzzled him with its wet nose. Full of energy. Even though it had been a newborn it had still towered over Will in height. Will had played with it for as long as he could, but gradually it had outgrown him. Become too large to be played with safely. Still, Will had always had a soft spot for dogs after that. He couldn't say the same thing for any other animals he'd encountered.

Before they left the bedroom Dr. Lecter reached inside the cage to rearrange the furniture, putting everything back in place. The bed was set in the right corner again, although the blankets were left rumpled, and the flashlight was turned off last.

The door was shut but the lock was left hanging open. Will supposed he would be back in his cell soon enough. The through angered him but he stayed still. Looking down over the giants hold on him to the floor. It was so far away. He was surprised that he had dared to run and jump from this height earlier. It seemed like too dangerous of a risk in hindsight. Although it had almost worked. Will would have done it again if he thought he could successfully escape in that way. As it was, he couldn't even humor the thought. The grip on him wasn't exactly lax this time. Will could barley move in the giants hand. His legs could barely shift in the hold. His arms were folded against his chest. It was at once snug, warm and suffocating.

Dr. Lecter left the room to go to the guest bathroom. It was a room that Will didn't enter often. Will could get into the cabinet beneath the sink filled with various toiletries but it was impossible for him to get onto anything higher, which made most of the room essentially useless to him. While it was possible that he could have found some way to get to higher ground if he had set his mind to it, his very survival was based on getting into difficult places, he hadn't seen the point. Anything he could get from above (soap, most likely) he could get elsewhere in the house. Will's priority was survival not exploration. At most he borrowed toilet paper from the elegant bathroom. The soft paper having various uses. 

The elegant bathroom was different from a higher view. He had never seen the marble counter from this vantage point. It was mostly bare apart from the soap, small white hand towel, and round black bowl filled with water that was placed beside the bathroom sink.

Will was placed beside the bowl and asked to undress.

The giant towered over him. He had to crane his neck back to peer past the humans stomach, into the pair of maroon eyes that were watching his every twitch. 

He wrapped his hands around his arms, like he was cold, as he looked at the human...

"I'm not stripping in front of you." Will said lowly.

His words were more confident than he actually was but the thought of undressing with the unnerving human, the thought of taking off his clothes in front of anyone, was embarrassing. He felt as though it would be like taking off a layer of armor before a fight.      

Dr. Lecter's response was to reach forward, fingertips nipping at his shirt. Will jumped back in fright and ran around the countertop. Dodging the hands that reached for him and feeling ridiculous. He had nowhere to go. The thought of his clothing being torn off by those grasping, sharp hands if he faltered urged him run faster all the same. It tired him out quickly though and then he was being dragged backwards by his clothing. The brown jacket he'd made was peeled off, the string that tied it closed snapping apart from the force. The thought of his clothes being ruined one by one made Will snarl despite being sure that it was in no way intimidating to the giant.

"Stop it. I'll do it." Will shouted, his throat hurting from the force and volume of his words.

The hands stilled, as if the giant was considering continuing anyways, before they released him. Will glared at them but didn't waste time. He took off his shirt and then his slippers and pants. Tossing them at his feet. He didn't wait for instructions after that, just climbed into the bowl of hot water.

It was the perfect temperature. Somehow, that irritated Will more than anything else. When he looked up the giant seemed all too pleased.

Will's clothes were taken and thrown into the garbage without a moments notice.

Will choked as he watched the bundle fall away. 

"My clothes- Hey!" 

"You shouldn't speak with a sore throat, Will."

_Who's fault is that? Don't throw my clothes away and expect me not to react._

"I have new clothes for you to wear after you're clean." Dr. Lecter said.

The human reached over to press soap out of the dispenser. Will couldn't even flinch in shock before he was being washed like a dish. He could only close his eyes and mouth to make sure nothing got in his eyes as he kicked the entire time, sputtering and coughing helplessly. He could have cleaned himself but there was nothing he could do.

"Hold your breath."

Will barely had time to do so before his head was being pressed beneath the water. He was held firmly underneath. Water everywhere. His feet lashing out, smacking jarringly against the edge of the bowl. He was lifted out a moment later and his chest heaved to suck air into his lungs.

"Again." Dr. Lecter said.

"No." 

The water surrounded him again. His hair was washed a little too firmly. The curls being tugged at painfully. In the next moment he was lifted out of the bowl entirely. His eyes stayed shut at the sudden motion. Will was stunned. He was sure that tears were stinging in his eyes. Not from the soap but the strange situation. It was overwhelming and frightening. The hands weren't too rough, but only barely so. He couldn't see and he was being moved around from one place to another too quickly for him to register what was happening to him. 

"Stop. Stop." Will whispered aloud.

He was on his back. Flailing. The sound of water pouring from a faucet confused him. He blinked his eyes open and twisted around in the wet hand to see that the bowl was being refilled with clean water. Will shivered coldly on his knees.

When the bowl was filled to the brim Will was put back inside and rinsed. The giant did this a few more times until there wasn't a speck of dirt or soap left on his body. The process was only slightly less disorienting. He disliked being touched and moved around. Looked at.

When Dr. Lecter deemed him clean he was taken out and the water was poured out for the last time. He shivered as the white towel was wrapped around him. Smothering and dark and soft. A few silent tears were wiped away along with the water that he was soaked in.

He felt unstable where he stood. When Dr. Lecter picked him up he laid flat on his back, wrapped in the large towel, in the palm as he tried to slow his breathing down. Glaring up at the perfectly relaxed expression on the humans face. Will would have bet buttons the human had chosen to make that experience just shy of wholly traumatizing on purpose.

The sadist.

Shivering in the towel Will peeked over the edges of it with a frown. The artificial orange scent of the soap was strong. As Dr. Lecter took him from the bathroom Will hoped that he would be long gone before he was ever given a bath by the human again.   


	5. Chapter 5

Dr. Lecter stepped into his walk in closet to withdraw a small, golden chest from one of the shelves. Will peered at it from the confines of the towel he was hidden in, brows furrowed in question. He looked up at the face of his captor. Serene and pleasant. Nothing like the dimwitted giants that filled the stories his father had told him as a child, though this man was even more dangerous than those monsters.   

Dr. Lecter sat on the bed with the chest in his lap. Will was held aloft in his right hand, watching as the man opened the chest easily with his free hand. Inside it there were a few sets of formal clothes, of all kinds and for both genders. Suits and dresses that were of different sizes. Each of them colorful and unique in design. The beautiful chest wasn't full by any means, but there were a decent number of articles, and even small pairs of socks. Will gaped down at it all, surprised.

He knew that Dr. Lecter had said that he had new clothes for Will but these ones were obviously of very high quality. Will wasn't sure that every piece would fit him correctly, but most of them seemed to be about his size. Somehow, looking at them reminded him acutly of his first look at the birdcage and when it truly sunk in that Dr. Lecter had put _thought_ into abducting Will.

Dr. Lecter tugged the towel away from Will's hold and set it aside before sifting through the rest of the clothes with one hand. Appearing to take pleasure in the self-appointed task of choosing what Will would wear. Dr. Lecter lifted one blue suit up and held it next to him.

"A little long." The man said casually, then dropped the outfit back into the chest with the rest.

Will felt like a child's doll. Only taking a little comfort in the fact that the doctor hadn't taken one of the dresses out. When he shakily asked, the human told him that he hadn't been sure after first catching a glimpse of him if he was male or female, so had prepared for either. None of the pieces looked comfortable though. He missed his own, worn as they were, which he had made for himself. They were soft and easy to move around in whereas these looked beautiful but slightly stiff. Obviously made for unfeeling dolls. 

When an outfit was finally chosen Will struggled to hide his dismay. The clothing wasn't anything he would make for himself, the color standing out too brightly for him to feel completely safe, but he couldn't say he was completely surprised by the choice after having observed Dr. Lecter for days and seen the suits the man typically wore. The man didn't dress like most of the other giants, from what Will had seen.

Dr. Lecter gave Will the clothes and had him dress himself, at least. Will was told to put the clothes on politely enough but Will knew that the words were both an order and a threat rolled into one. He took the clothing with a sigh. Putting it on quickly. Although there was a part of him that wanted to reject the clothes he was freezing and naked, he didn't want to take any risks while so vulnerable. He still felt disoriented. He didn't want to take the chance of getting sick either. Will knew that Dr. Lecter could probably easily dress him or leave him without clothes at all. Neither option was a good one. 

Will wore a bright yellow sweater that reminded him of some roses he'd seen once. He put on the dark violet dress pants over the underwear provided, a piece of clothing which Will had never tried on before, and lastly a pair of socks that matched the pants. All of it at least fit well enough, a little big but not overly so. The pants were stiff but the sweater was less itchy than Will had expected. The socks and underwear were surprisingly soft. Somehow, the colors didn't exactly clash. That didn't mean Will liked the outfit. He hated the how much he stood out in the bright yellow sweater. The fabric was so thick, too. There was no way to blend into dark shadows with what he was wearing. There were worse clothes in the chest and these ones weren't completely uncomfortable, though. The sweater was knitted with very thin needles and smooth yarn, but Will felt completely uncomfortable despite the high quality of the clothes.  

When something slipped into his hair and tugged, Will yelped. Crouching in the palm and struggling before his brain put together what the giant was doing. Combing his hair! It was painful enough that Will couldn't stay silent. The hands rose up to cage him in although they didn't hold him in place. It was a long process. Will kept lifting his hands while Dr. Lecter made soothing, hushing sounds that didn't sooth or hush him. Eventually the giant got the hang of it though, because the strokes slowly became less painful until there were no snarls left.       

Will stood on the palm. Awkward and wobbly. Once he was sure that he wasn't going to fall over immediately when he took his eyes off of his feet he looked up. Will wanted to wrap his arms around himself defensively when he looked up at Dr. Lecter. He barely managed to stop himself, clenching his fists underneath the sweater that dropped down over his hands. It wasn't even that Dr. Lecter looked scary in that moment. The giant was obviously pleased, having been successful at every turn so far. The successes were frightening in themselves though. Will had been helpless to everything that had happened since that glass trapped him inside of it. Will was afraid of what would happen to him.

Despite his size Will had always been able to look after himself. He was resourceful and up until last night he always saw himself as careful, as careful as any other small. But he'd been caught and hadn't even seen it coming.

A finger slipped through his hair. Petting at his curls in a way.

"Soft." Dr. Lecter murmured. "Are you hungry, little one?"

Will blinked. He tilted his head away from the curious finger poking at his hair.

"Yes..." He said hesitantly, lowly.

Will's hand lifted to push gently at the finger as it touched his cheek. The giant smiled and then closed the chest up, placing the comb into a hidden cabinet of the chest that Will hadn't noticed earlier. Will tried to keep his footing as they moved around. The towel being placed in a laundry bin. The chest was set back inside the closet. It wasn't too difficult to stay standing when the pace was steady but it was a little dizzying. Will eventually decided to sit down in the cupped hold, hugging his knees because there was nothing else to hold onto. It wouldn't protect him from a fall at this height but it was comforting nonetheless and he still felt a little cold from his bath.

Once they were in the kitchen Will started to thinking about what eating would mean, about what he would be fed. He frowned worriedly as he stared out at the pristine kitchen that he had run around many times. While he had remembered that Dr. Lecter killed people, would never be able to forget that, before now Will had only been thinking about getting away and the thought of eating hadn't crossed his mind.

Other than the fear that he could be eaten himself, it didn't occur to him while he was waiting in the birdcage that he would be fed and that would mean meat and that would mean humans... on the one hand, his kind were scavengers. He could eat just about anything. He wasn't against digging through garbage to look for food. He could handle eating things that could make humans sick, although he preferred and appreciated recent leftovers the most.   

Will wasn't sure what his hang up was, when he compared it other things that he had tried in his life, and yet, there was something about the look of humans. So similar to his own kind in appearance despite the obvious size differences. More than that though, Will could remember the terror and screams of Dr. Lecter's victims. The humiliation the endured. All those humans that were killed. It made Will sick to think of what had been done to them, before and after their deaths. He couldn't bring himself to accept the idea that he would most likely be... participating in harming those humans.

They weren't his kind, but Will wouldn't harm most other creatures unless he was attacked him in the first place. For the very fact that he was a scavenger more than anything, killing had never been something that Will had to deal with. He had fought off other animals when he had too. He had killed insects that tried to eat him. But those weren't anything like humans, and those hadn't screamed similarly to his own kind would when hurt. 

Will gulped uneasily as Dr. Lecter went to the refrigerator. He held his breath when the hand beneath him moved up at once, shifting Will around until he was held around his middle, and then dropped into the pocket over Dr. Lecter breast. For a moment the world was darkness and silk before Will was able to climb up enough to poke his head out. It was a struggle to hold himself aloft. It was hard for him to dig his feet into the smooth walls of the pocket without sliding down. He tucked his elbows over the rim of his soft prison and watched as Dr. Lecter started preparing breakfast.

Will watched as the meat, carefully stored within clear packages, was taken out. Along with eggs and vegetables. Will wasn't sure of what was being made although he was surprised when Dr. Lecter asked about his diet and if he was allergic to anything. Will thought about lying as he eyed the human meat. It wasn't as though he was... against eating human meat. It wasn't cannibalism for him to eat humans. But, he was so used to watching humans. It would be like a human eating a dog, it just wasn't done. 

He was hungry though. He ducked back into the pocket slightly, mumbling with a cough.

"Um, I'm not- I eat most foods, I'm not allergic... I don't want to eat human meat though."

Will was honestly afraid of disagreeing with Dr. Lecter. His situation felt too precarious, as if anything might set the giant off. He thought about the stove. The threat of being fried surfacing and making him shiver. He wondered if it was a good idea to refuse to eat. It would hardly make him seem like a cooperative captive. Will remembered that Dr. Lecter was very particular about human customs, etiquette and manners. Was it rude to deny what his "host" offered?

He peaked out of his pocket instead of ducking further inside of it like he wanted to.

"Please, Dr. Lecter." He rasped, his voice hurting more from speaking so much.

Dr. Lecter looked down at him. A finger came up to pet at his head again. Will suffered it in silence.

It was quiet for a moment before the hand dropped and the man started to prepare the tea.

"Hm, I'll make some tea for your throat." Dr. Lecter said as he walked.

Will stared up. Had Dr. Lecter head him? Or was Will ignored? Unsure, Will tried to decide if he should attempt to redirect the conversation back to his main concern again as he silently watched. Before he could say a word Dr. Lecter continued though.   

"You'll be staying with me for the foreseeable future, Will, please call me Hannibal." 

Will stared up, quietly, before nodding in agreement when the human looked down at him.

"Okay, Hannibal."


	6. Chapter 6

Will and other smalls didn't hate humans for the danger they represented. Smalls lived on the knifes edge, risking themselves by staying close but knowing that their own lives were improved by staying. It was likely because of this that the thought of eating a human being was repulsive. Living in such close proximity, seeing the intelligence and gaining so much from the other species, it would be unheard of to harm a human.

Will wasn't religious in anyway. He didn't worship humans or their gods like some smalls ended up doing, but the idea of harming a human... the closest comparison that he could imagine would be of a human harming one of their pets. Although smalls didn't have the same relationship of owner and pet, they were still around humans day in and day out. They still gained so much from humans that it seemed counterintuitive.

Smalls tended to form a personal relationship with the humans that they inhabited the homes of. Will had learned about the Parkers habits, likes, dislikes, beliefs. He might not have spied on them but their were certain things that he couldn't help learning about. Most of all he learned that humans were complex in themselves. They weren't simply dangerous. They weren't simply intelligent. They had... emotions just like Will did. While he could eat other beings, especially if they attacked him first, especially if he was hungry, eating humans had never been a thought to Will because it was an impossibility. Humans weren't food, it would be impossible to hunt one. Dangerous. Humans provided food.

Now, Dr. Lecter was literally providing the food. A part of Will thought he shouldn't be so disturbed. In some parts of the world humans ate dogs, didn't they? Humans weren't of the same species as him. He shouldn't have felt disturbed, Dr. Lecter - Hannibal - was the one that shouldn't want to eat the meat. But Will watched as what looked like sausage was mixed with the eggs and vegetables. He winced from where he watched in Hannibal's pocket. 

As he drank the tea Hannibal had given him in a tea cup Will's own size, the man had told Will that he had no choice but to eat what Hannibal would give him. The doctor had told him that he looked underweight and he wouldn't risk Will harming himself by starving, and then he'd given Will the ultimatum. Will hadn't known what to do. He could have fought more, but Will wondered if it was even worth the effort to do so. To refuse having food when he could easily be starved into compliance. When he was entirely in Hannibal's hands and would need a clear head if he wanted to escape.

He wouldn't be the one committing cannibalism, and the thought of eating his own kind was leagues worse than eating a human, but... they looked so similar. Will couldn't get the image of the murders Hannibal had committed out of his mind. It was impossible to unsee that violence and suffering. The thought that Hannibal had made their deaths loud on purpose, so that Will would hear it, made Will's stomach roil.

He shifted in the warm pocket, listening to the sizzling sound of the food cooking, and ducked back into the dark interior. Will had nodded in slow agreement after their conversation. Hannibal had placed him in his pocket again when he'd had his fill of the delicious tea, but even now Will wasn't sure that he would actually follow through with it. 

The thought was slightly irritating. He needed to survive this. That meant waiting for an opening before he stuck out against the giant again.

But logic was a hollow comfort.

He blinked in the darkness. What could he do?

Will thought and thought but sooner than he wanted the breakfast was finished and a hand dipped into the pocket to withdraw him.

The plates were set at the table and Will was placed down to stand before a tiny plate and spoon. The spoon was only slightly big. The plate was close to overflowing and Will was sure that he wouldn't be able to eat it all even if he wanted to. 

Will wondered where the man had gotten ahold of the things in Will's size. He knew that giants could get just about anything, they could go to places or things would be left in boxes outside their doors. "Money" and "credit cards". Will had looked inside a wallet before in the dead of night, a long time ago. He'd been surprised that those little things could be traded for food and all the other stuff that giants had. Will knew that he would never trade any of his possessions for a green paper with an old face on it, he might have traded a button for a nice coin but buttons were more unique and harder to come buy.

It would have to be an especially shiny coin, maybe one of those golden ones that Will didn't see often. But the green paper money wasn't even big or soft enough to sleep in, and Will was much smaller than humans so he knew they wouldn't use money like that. As far as he could tell money sat in a humans wallet collecting dust. He'd watched the humans but never saw them using the stuff for anything. It wasn't as though he could follow humans out of the house. When they were gone they were gone, and while Will had lived on the streets he'd lived on the streets. He hadn't ventured into the human shops. Will realized that money was all symbolic, of course. It had to have some deeper meaning. In the end Will hadn't investigated further though. There was no point, as a small his life was busy enough at it was in the bustle of collecting food and keeping his hole nice and vermin free.

Will glanced at the walls where his little hole was. It was so close and yet so far away. An exhaustion weighed heavy on him suddenly as he took in the pleasant aroma of the food Hannibal made. It reminded him that he hadn't had a decent meal in a long time. Too long. His stomach growled lowly and Hannibal seemed pleased by it. Will winced at the sound, staring up at Hannibal unhappily. He knew that his expression must have been stiff and cold but the human paid it no mind. The humans seat was at the head of the table and Will's plate was to the right of the man.  

Will looked down at the plate and hovered uncertainly before crouching down and lifting the spoon.

_"From our conversations I know that you're intelligent, Will. Intelligent enough not to trust me, but how pleasant your stay with me here is will depend entirely upon how tiresome you make it. Either you eat now or I will take everything out of your cage and leave you in it with the covering on until you eat later."_

It tasted better than anything Will ever had. 

For a second he imagined standing up, throwing the utensil in his hand down, and running.

The long dining table wasn't fit for escape.   

Hannibal had proven not to be slow. Using his superior size to his advantage and not being thrown by how Will moved.

"Do you speak another language, Will? Do 'smalls' have their own?"

It was a distraction from the knowledge of what he was eating so he responded.   

"No. If we did have a language once it stopped being used after we lived with the humans."

Some thought the smalls had a language, some thought smalls learned it from the humans. It was hard to say because experts on the subject weren't easy to find. Most smalls never left their home. If they left they might lose their residence, and it was hard to find a good place to live. Will had learned that from firsthand experience. Not only was it hard to find a place to live, it was difficult to stay alive without a home. Will had been lucky enough to sneak onto a cruise boat but even when he'd made it to Europe he'd had trouble finding where the "experts" were. All of his own information had been outdated. It had been harder still to verify what evidence he did manage to get a hold of. Once he'd learned what he could he went back. He was an "expert" himself now, but the title didn't seem like much after he'd met most of the stuffy recluses. Most of them had stopped looking for answers ages ago. If anything they were collectors, barely knowledgeable about the information that they had obtained.

Will had learned a lot though, had actually found old books made by and for smalls. He would have to be more careful with what he said than most in that way. Most smalls never left their homes, they knew little. Will could name locations of small strongholds, rare small communities, and where many reclusive smalls lived and kept their information about their kind. Hannibal could prove the existence of smalls to all humans and shake the very foundations of smalls livelihoods if Will wasn't careful.

Will's only advantage was Hannibal's ignorance. 


	7. Chapter 7

Will lives in a birdcage at the mercy of the cruelest human he has ever encountered. But he hasn't been harmed. Slowly, his little "room" is filled with beautiful things. Shortly after his capture a chamber pot replaces the bowl he'd been given. He's given a couch next, and then a vanity with a chair. A standing mirror. A brush. By that point Will thinks Hannibal will run out of ideas soon, but then's given shoes and even more clothes. Will watches the things he's given with a quiet wariness, not quite able to not examine them closely. He's been a guest in many homes of his kind but he'd never seen any of them have furniture or clothes or any of what Hannibal had given with such high quality, and so like the things that humans owned themselves.    

For all that he's given though, for the most part, Will isn't left inside the cage as often as he'd feared he would be. Hannibal hadn't grown tired of Will, and if Will was right about how much time had passed then it was verging on a year since his capture and he wasn't dead. But he had found a way to escape. Possibly...   

He spends most of his time with Hannibal. He eats at Hannibal's table and is grudgingly fascinated by the meals that are prepared. Sometimes he'll wait in Hannibal's pocket, watching as the man prepares everything to eat. Hannibal has brought Will down to the basement to watch as he kills his victims a few times since, but not as often as Will had feared it might happen. As much as Hannibal is learning about him Will is learning in return. All smalls watch the humans they live with, but this direct observation is as unfamiliar as it is familiar.

When Will finally finds a chance to escape, as much as he latches onto it, he almost regrets leaving. There is a loneliness in Hannibal that Will identifies with, that is soothed when they spend time together. 

Hannibal brings Will outside once. Takes him to an opera. Will had been tied to the man with a tight chain around his stomach, but that had been fine. In the dark, high above and out of the way, he'd sat - sometimes stood - on Hannibal's shoulders and tugged on the mans ears. The look of Hannibal's eyes in that moment was one Will wouldn't forget. Despite the circumstances that had brought them together, Will had felt honored to be with Hannibal then.

So, why was he leaving now? 

Hannibal had left as the Chesapeake Ripper that night but Will half expected Hannibal to stop him. A part of him that he stamped down on fiercely _hoped_ that Hannibal would stop him and that was the most confusing response of all.

Will didn't know when he had fallen in love with Hannibal. Hannibal, the monster that had abducted him and forced Will to stay with him. It wouldn't stop Will from running far and away. But it left him strangely bitter even as he did the right thing.   

Hannibal had started letting Will sleep on the pillow beside him. Chained to the bed frame, of course, and Will had never given the man the suspicion of his true strength. That a chain of that size would be difficult, but not impossible, to bend with his hands. 

Hannibal had kissed Will's head. Will had watched him go... 

Slipping out of the house, into the night air, free for the firsts time. Will closed his eyes, head tilted up, as cold rain poured down on him. 

"Goodbye, Hannibal..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading everyone! I'm sorry if the ending seemed a little rushed. I'm already thinking of writing a few one-shots for this verse. Again, thanks for reading. It was so much fun to write and share.


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